Protesters in Sindh Demand Cancellation of Canal Project
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Synopsis
In Sindh, Pakistan, ongoing protests against the canal project continue, with leaders insisting on the cancellation of the initiative. The demonstration has drawn over 200,000 participants, and they threaten further disruptions if their demands are not met.
Key Takeaways
- Over 200,000 protestors are involved.
- Protest leaders demand cancellation of canal projects.
- Two-day ultimatum issued to federal government.
- Transport disruptions reported due to protests.
- Protestors vow to escalate actions if demands are unmet.
Sindh, April 26 (NationPress) The current protest in Pakistan's Sindh province has escalated as multiple leaders opposing the government's canal project have declared that they will not cease their demonstration until the project is officially revoked.
Lawyers, political factions, and various civil society organizations have maintained their sit-in protest since last week at the Babarloi bypass in Khairpur district, according to local media reports.
The organizers assert that over 200,000 individuals, including women and children, have joined the protest against the construction of six canals on the Indus River.
During a speech to the demonstrators at Babarloi, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) President Amir Nawaz Waraich cautioned against any police interventions, as reported by The Express Tribune.
"I will inform the police officers that if you disrupt the protesters or take any action, the whole of Sindh will be paralyzed, and you will be accountable for the aftermath. We will not conclude the sit-in until a formal notification cancelling the canals project is released," he declared.
Waraich also stated that a two-day deadline has been given to the federal government to provide this cancellation notification.
"If the notification is not issued by then, we will obstruct the railway tracks at Rohri," the legal representative announced.
In his remarks, Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Sindh, dismissed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent statement regarding halting work on the canals and calling a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting for consensus.
He reiterated the continuation of the protests until the project is annulled.
"When the Prime Minister issued the notification approving the canals, did he convene the CCI then? Did he consult the ECNEC (Executive Committee of the National Economic Council)? Did he involve Irsa (Indus River System Authority)?" the leader questioned.
He criticized the federal government, asserting that if the canal notification was issued without proper consultation, "why is a CCI meeting necessary to retract it? We will not accept this charade," he added, emphasizing that the Prime Minister has the power to cancel the project outright.
Meanwhile, transporters reported that the protests have caused significant disruptions to the country’s supply chain, leaving thousands of goods carriers stranded.
According to a report from the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, Tariq Gujjar, president of the Transport Goods Association (TGA), mentioned that over 10,000 to 15,000 trawlers, containers, trucks, and oil tankers are currently immobilized in the Sukkur-Larkana division and around Bahawalpur due to ongoing road blockades.
"Drivers have indicated that the movement of goods, particularly from the Sukkur-Larkana region to Bahawalpur, remains halted," he concluded.
